SUNY Chancellor King Recommends John Clark to be Interim President at Brockport

The SUNY Board is expected to take up Clark's nomination at its June 22 meeting.  If he were to be approved, Clark would begin his term at Brockport in early July of this year.

"John Clark has a proven ability to lead and successfully manage all facets of a college campus," said King.  "He did a superb job while serving as the interim president at the college at Plattsburgh and it is my expectation that he would be equally successful at Brockport."

"I am delighted Chancellor King has forwarded my name to the Board of Trustees for consideration," said Clark.  "Leading the College at Brockport would be a great honor for me."

"I would like to thank Paul Yu for doing extraordinarily good work while president of Brockport," said King.  "Thanks to Paul, Brockport now attracts students with stronger SAT scores and high school averages, the school has garnered more research dollars than at anytime previously, earned first-time national accreditation in three academic programs, and full-time enrollment has grown substantially.  Paul will be greatly missed by the entire state university community."

Brockport Provost Vice President for Academic affairs Tim Flanagan is currently serving as officer-in-charge at the campus as President Yu begins his transition to his new post. Clark is concluding his term as the interim president at the State University College at Plattsburgh this spring.

During his time at Plattsburgh, Clark forged strong relations with the college and the greater community.  In a Feb. 27 editorial of this year, the Plattsburgh Press Republican wrote, "We will all miss John Clark. It took him less than a year to become an unforgettable and much loved figure in the North Country, and we will envy whoever winds up in his company."

A national search by the Brockport College Council for a new president to replace President Paul Yu will commence at the beginning of the 2004-2005 academic year.  Clark would serve until such time as the search is completed and a new president takes office.  Clark will not be a candidate in that search.

Brockport has total enrollment of 8,742 and is located a few miles west of Rochester. Brockport traces its roots the Brockport State Normal School founding in 1867, one of New York's first four Normal Schools.  Brockport continues to this day its rich tradition of teacher education.

Clark earned his bachelor's degree cum laude from Providence College in 1972.  Thereafter he received a master's in public administration from John Jay College, CUNY in 1977; a master's of arts degree in economics from Fordham University in 1980; a master's in philosophy from New York University in 1984; and his doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2001. 

Clark has wide-ranging experience as a board member with various not-for-profit organizations providing educational, healthcare, and housing services. His board responsibilities include fundraising, staff oversight, financial management, strategic planning and program development.

Clark serves on the Board of St. Pius V High School for young women in the South Bronx and is a member of the Business Advisory Council of the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College in Manhattan.

Clark has had a 17 year career in public finance and municipal bond research with specialized knowledge of higher education and not-for-profit financing.
Prior to becoming the interim president at Plattsburgh, Clark was Senior Vice President - Public Finance for Ramirez & Co., a New York City investment banking firm.  Major clients include the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority.

Clark has served in various capacities at the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the New York City Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services, the New York State Emergency Financial Control Board and the New York City Housing Authority.

After a seventeen year career in public finance and municipal bond research with specialized knowledge of higher education and not-for-profit financing, Clark assumed the post of interim president at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh on June 1, 2003.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States educating nearly 410,000 students in 6,688 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu

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